The effects of B cell lymphoma on young and aged T and NK cells (ATAC-Seq)

While lymphomas affect mostly older patients, there are cases of lymphoma across the aging spectrum. However, the effects of these cancers on young versus old immune cells is largely unknown. Using a transplantable B cell lymphoma mouse model, we generated single cell RNA-seq of isolated T cells and NK cells to define phenotypic and population changes modulated by age and lymphoma. Further, to investigate age-dependent epigenetic changes driven by lymphomas, we used an assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin with sequencing (ATAC-seq) on isolated CD4 T cells from young and aged mice with lymphomas. These studies demonstrate that lymphoma alters the immune system in an age-dependent manner. Young (<12 weeks) and aged (>78 weeks) C57Bl6 mice were transplanted with Em-Myc lymphoma cells via tail vein injection. Twelve days after tumor transplant, T and NK cells were isolated from the spleens of lympoma-bearing or non-tumor-bearing control mice. Further, CD4 T cells were isolated for ATAC-seq from these same mice. Both sequencing datasets are n = 3 biological replicates.